6 at York manufacturing business test positive for coronavirus, company officials say
Six employees at a York County manufacturing plant have tested positive for coronavirus, company officials said.
The workers are employed at MacLean Power Systems, located between York and Rock Hill, according to officials with MacLean-Fogg, the parent company of the plant.
Steve Scharnhorst, group president for Maclean Power Systems, confirmed in a phone call and email to The Herald that six employees tested positive.
“MacLean Power Systems, a Division of MacLean-Fogg, confirms that six of our associates at our York, SC facility have tested positive for COVID-19 and are receiving medical attention,” Scharhorst said in a statement. “All co-workers who have been in direct contact with these employees have been notified and requested to stay in self-quarantine for the next 14 days.”
Scharnhorst said the York plant makes transmission and hardware equipment for the utility industry and employs about 350 people. The company also has a facility in Fort Mill.
Scharnhorst said the employees are the lifeline of the company that is vital to keeping utility service online across the country.
“We are proud of all our team members who are essential and come to work daily to produce the parts that keep the electricity flowing throughout the national utility grid network,” Scharnhorst said.
The company has implemented saferty measures in its facilities to follow CDC recommendations to protect employees, Scharnhorst said.
“Some of these actions taken in our manufacturing operations include wellness and temperature testing, social distancing, cleaning protocols, barrier masks and on-site staff minimization,” Scharnhorst said in the statement. “These efforts reduced the number of co-workers who have come in contact with these associates and positioned the York, S.C. facility for operational continuity.“
As of Tuesday, York County has had more than 300 positive cases of the disease since the pandemic began, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Several businesses in the area have reported positive cases among its employees. In Fort Mill, employees at a Publix grocery story and the Shutterfly facility tested positive for the virus. Also, an employee at the Lowe’s Home Improvement in York tested positive in April.
Law enforcement officers at the Fort Mill Police Department, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office and Clover Police Department have also tested positive for coronavirus.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 3:42 PM.
